Couplable railway car facilities



April 26, 1966 DE -n 3,248,683

CQUPLABLE RAILWAY CAR FACILITIES Original Filed Nov. 29, 1961 2Sheets-Sheet l 74 %fl INVENTOR.

BYKIA/JYA 2cm April 26, 1966 K. 1.. DE PENTI 3,248,683

COUPLABLE RAILWAY CAR FACILITIES Original Filed Nov. 29, 1961 2Sheets-Sheet 2 7 o l, U E

'9 12 INVENTOR. I

United States Patent 6 Claims. (Cl. 339-64) The present inventionrelates to an apparatus for protecting the faces of couplable deviceswhich are carried into coupling relationship along a predetermined path,for example, by two railway cars movable along a common track. Theinvent-ion is concerned particularly with closure or protectiveapparatus providing one or more doors and an actuating systemthereformounted on each device. This application is a divisional application ofUnited States application Ser. No. 155,561 filed November 29, 1961.

j The invention is useful in a broad sense, in protecting devices suchas couplers and all manner of serviceline connections which are placedin abutting, mating, or interlocked relationship by a buffing operation.For purposes of description, the invention is described herein withrespect to car-to-car connectors of electrical circuits. It is importantto protect the faces of these connector from any deposition of dirt,ice, or other material that might interfere with effective car-to-carelectrical transmission. Also, these electrical connectors need to beprotected against accidental contact therewith of a any objects ormaterial which can produce short circuiting. Furthermore, exposedelectrical connectors are an electrocution hazard to personnel.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide closureapparatus particularly adapted for use on railway vehicles which may beactuated automatically through yieldable parts of the apparatus onopposed couplable devices being brought into bufiing engagement.

Another object is to provide automatically adjustable support for thedevice embodying the closure apparatus providing last-stage gatheringfunction in conjunction with first and major-stage alignment mechanismof the coupler or other structure on which the device is mounted.

It is also anobject to assist in achieving the abovementioned gatheringfunction by structure which effects final engagement of service-lineends in straight line movement devoid of relative sidewise frictionalmovement of opposed face elements such as electrical terminals.

A further object is to mount the closure actuating mechanism entirely onthe body of the device without mechanical connection of such mechanismwith the support for the body.

It is also an object to provide closure apparatus for couplable devicesof which their actual use does not permit storage of an opened closuretherefor overhead or underneath the device.

Another object is to provide a support for face-to-face protectedservice-line connectors which adapt the connectors foruse on vehiclesequipped with car couplers which are not of the tight-lock type, i.e.,with couplers such as the F-type knuckle coupler, which undergo smallangling and transverse movements relative to intercoupled couplers.

These objects and others are apparent from the description below and aregenerally achieved in a couplable device embodying a closure for itsfront face, and actuating mechanism for the closure capable of actuatinga similar mechanism on another such device and being actuated thereby;and further: in the combination of this device together with its closureapparatus with a resilient support or housing for the device cooperatingwith a body thereof to achieve centering of the device with respect "iceto an opposed similar device abutted therewith. The body of the deviceterminates in a forward face portion adapted to abut with the faceportion of a similar device. The faces of both devices are symmetricalwith respect to a vertical plane containing in an approximate manner thelongitudinal axes thereof. In addition to the body, the connectorcomprises: at least one face-protecting door; structure for pivotally'connecting the door with the body whereby the door may move from aposition in juxtaposed face-to-face relation with the face portion to aposition placing it laterally of the body entirely out of forwardalignment with the face portion; an actuator for the door at one side ofthe plane, preferably underneath the body; guiding structure on the bodyand the actuator-cooperating to limit the actuator to reciprocalmovement relative to the body in its forward and rearward direction; anabutment fixed to the body on the other side of the vertical plane andclosely thereto in horizontal relation with the actuator; and camstructure on the door and the actuator placing the door in followingrelationship with the actuator whereby the door FIG. 3 is a bottom viewof the apparatus as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are perspective and bottom views, respectively,illustrating the apparatus of FIGS. 1 to 3 with the door actuatorretracted sufficiently to fully open the doors but with the connector ina forward position within its support.

FIG. 4a is a fragmentary perspective view showing normally juxtaposedport-ions of the connector and the support separate-d for purposes ofillustration.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the door shown at left in FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the actuator for both doors.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 to 5 showing the'connector retracted rearwardly within its support and the doors fullyopen.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary side elevation of two connectors in relativelyspaced positions which may occur just prior to passing into engagementabuttting relationship.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary side elevation in partial section illustratingthe connectors in positions similar to that of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a transverse section of the connector and the support of theprevious figures taken along line XI-XI of FIG. 2 with parts of theclosure apparatus not included.

FIG. 12 is a plan view of the lower member of the connector support.

FIG. 13 is a front fragmentary elevation of the connector partially insection illustrating primarily downwardly projecting brackets forreceiving the actuator of FIG. 7.

The invention is illustrated and described hereinbelow with respect .toa single embodiment. The apparatus shown in the various assembly viewsof the drawing comprises an electrical service-line connector 4 and asupport or housing 5 therefor having an upper cross-tie 6 apertured at 7adapting it to be fastened to a vehicle. The support also has a lowercross-tie 8. In one intended use of the connector 4 together with thesupport 5, the apparatus is fixedly mounted to the underside of acoupler or other equipment associated with the coupler in order that thegathering facilities of the coupler may be utilized in bringing opposingconnectors together. Final accurate alignment of the connectors isobtained through telescoping the front structure of both connectors toeffect their final facial abutting relationship. For the purposes ofthis description, it is sulficient to know without describing theinternal structure of the connector 4 that it is used to establishelectrical circuits from car-to-car and that the electrical conductingmedia of which the connectors are comprised terminate as the nineterminals 18 shown in the face 11 of face portion 12 of the body 14.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 11, the body 14 when disengaged from anotherconnector seats in a forward portion of the support 5. The connector isurged into this position by resilient means, such as a spring 16positioned in a state of initial compression between a rear surface 17of the connector body 14 and a front facing surface 18 of a reartransverse wall 19 of the support.

The support is of generally U-shape construction in plan when assembledand comprises upper and lower members 21 and 22 which are fastenedtogether by bolts 23. These upper and lower members together formtransversely spaced lateral walls 25 and 26, and the rear wall 19. Thespring 16 is disposed in concentric relation with a hollow stem 15 ofthe connector protruding centrally along its longitudinal axisrearwardly from the rear connector surface 17. The stem 15 extendsthrough an aperture 27 of the wall 19 slightly oversize with respect tothe stem to permit a small amount of angling movement of the connectorbody 14 relative to the rearward support wall 19.

The support 5 when assembled, as shown in the various figures, defines asemi-cupulate pocket, i.e., pockets 28 and 2%, in each lateral wall 25,26. These pockets are designated as concave in a vertical transversecross-section of the support. The term concave as used herein means anyarrangement by which the sides of a depression slope inwardly toward acentral point or line of maximum depth, whether the sloping sides of thedepression be curved, or polygonal. Preferably, the pockets 28 and 29are formed of upper and lower fiat areas meeting in a dihedral anglealong the parting plane YY of the support members 21 and 22. Each pairof upper and lower fiat areas forming pocket 28 or 2-9 is designatedbynumeral 31b or 32b, respectively.

In a manner complementary to the pockets 28 and 29, the lateral surfaces31 and 32 of the rearward portion of the connector body 14 bulgeoutwardly in increasing extent progressively rearward along the body toprovide forwardly tapered protrusions herein broadly designated asconvex in transverse vertical cross-section. The term convex designatescurved as well as flat surfaces which may cooperate as areas which inaggregate define the lateral protrusions of the body 14. Preferably,surfaces 31 and 32 each comprise upper and lower fiat areas Sir: or 32a,respectively, which meet in a dihedral angle not greater than the angleof the adjacent concave surface 311) or 3211, respectively.

By the surface arrangement just described, the pockets 28 and 22cooperate to define a greater pocket or region between the spacedsupport walls 25 and 26 in which the rearward portion of the connectorbody 14 may seat as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. However, the body is movablerearwardly out of seating position to establish such clearances betweenthe support and the connector body as to enable the latter to engage inangling motion relative to the rear wall 19. Such clearances areillustrated in FIG. 8 at 35 and 36. This figure depicts the connector inits normally operative condition in abutment with another similarconnector 38 shown in dot-dash outline. It is through this structuralarrangement of the connector and its support that relative adjustmentresulting in final precise engagement of opposing connectors isobtained. Satisfactory engagement is not, as a practical matter,

obtainable solely through precision in the mounting of a connector orits support on the coupler.

' Gathering action of two opposing couplers in a small final stage isobtained by structure of the face portion of the body 14 most clearlyillustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10. From various figures of the drawing,particularly FIG. 4, a vertical longitudinal plane XX and a horizontallongitudinal plane YY may be observed as dividing the face portion 12 ofthe connector into quadrants. In each of one pair of alternatequadrants, the face portion 12 has a recess along its entire peripheryin that quadrant. For example, observing FIG. 4, a recess 41 exists inthe upper right quadrant at the periphery of the face 11. A similarrecess 42 is found in the lower left quadrant. On the other alternatequadrants, i.e., the upper left and the lower right, the periphery ofthe face portion 12 comprises flanges 43 and 44. These flanges areadapted to fit within and mate with the surfaces of recesses 41 and 42of an opposing connector. To facilitate the mating of such flanges andrecesses, the flanges and recesses are tapered in respective directionsaway from the plane of the face 11 in FIGS. 9 and 10. Such tapering ofthe flanges is observable at 46, 47, 48. Tapering of the recesses isobservable at 51, 52, 53 and 54. It is to be noted that the straightsurfaces 56 of the recesses, and the straight surfaces 57 of the flangescause the final movement of the connectors into engaged relationship tobe limited to the longitudinal direction of the connectors and to thusavoid any scuffing or frictional contact as the terminals 10 of opposedconnectors come together.

An essential feature of this invention is in the provision of doors 60and 61, which, when closed, protect the face of the connector fromweather conditions and various service conditions, including thepossibility of short-circuiting by extraneous conductive materials whichmight come in contact with the terminals 10. As shown in FIG. 4, thedoors are hinged with respect to vertical and hence parallel axes 63 and64 in fixed relation with the body 14. In the embodiments shown, theseaxes are spaced rearwardly of the face portion 12 for a substantialportion of the length of the body 14. One reason for this is that thedoors are required to swing to lateral positions in which they clear thestructures of the support 5 as the connector is forced rearwardlyrelative to the support. Hence, the panel portions 60a, 61a areconnected by legs 64 and 65 to upper pivot bosses 66 and lower pivotbosses 67. The .apert'ured spur 68 on the leg 65 is to be particularlynoted as a part of the mechanism by which door 61) and in a similarfashion the door 60) is swung between a closed position (see FIGS. 1, 2and 3) and an open position (see FIGS. 4, 5 and 8). The means forswinging the doors is an actuator 70 shown separately in FIG. 7. Theactuator comprises a buffer plate 71, a stop bar 72, a guide rod 73, aright arm 74, and a left arm 75. The arms 74 and 75 are connected to thebuffer plate and the stop bar, respectively. In order to place the slots74a and 75a in position for receiving pins 78 and 7? integral with thespur portions of the lower door legs, both right and left legs of theactuator extend from respective bases in a vertical direction at theirforward ends and then obliquely laterally and rearwardly substantiallybeyond the laterall extremities of the buffer plate 71 and the bar 72,respectively. In the extreme lateral portions of the arms 74 and 75 arethe aforementioned slots which are elongated in the transverse directionof the connector to accommodate the lateral movement of the pins 78 and79 during rotation of the doors.

Secured along the underside of the body 14 and, preferably, castintegrally therewith is an abutment 80 adapted for engaging the actuator70 of a similar opposed connector. The abutment comprises a forwardbuffing block 81 and a rearward extending guide wall 82 of which itsouter surface is flush with the outer surface of the block 81 to formthe surface 83. The block 81 joins the body 14 along its frontunderportion as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. Just rearwardly of the block 81,the body 14 has an integral depending bracket 85 which is also connectedrigidly with the wall 82. The bracket 85 has a slot 86 which is elongatein a transverse horizontal direction and complementary to a transversecross-section of the buffer plate 71. The bracket 85 thus serves as aguide for the forward portion, i.e., the abutment plate 71 of theactuator 70. The portion 87 of the bracket 85 is immediately rearward ofthe block 81 of the abutment 80 and serves as a stop for engaging theactuator stop bar 72 to thus limit the forward movement of the actuator,as shown in FIG. 3.

The support 5 comprises another bracket 90 integral with and dependingfrom a rear end portion of the support. The bracket 90 has an aperture91 for receiving the stem or rod 73 of the actuator along an axiscontained in an approximate manner in the vertical plane X-X. When theactuator is in place in the assembled connector, the bracket 90 servesas a rear seat for a spring 92 placed concentrically about the rod 73.The aperture 91 is tapered to permit entry of the rod 73 while acutelyangled with respect to the bracket 90. In the assembled connector, thespring stands in the state of initial compression between this bracketand its forward seat at the rear surface of the buffer plate 71.

To facilitate incorporation of the actuator into the assembledconnector, the bracket 85, shown separately in FIG. 13, may be initiallyformed without a cleat- 93. In the initially formed bracket, the slot 86is open at the end thereof, later closed by the cleat 93. With the slot86 thus open at the left end, the actuator, with the spring placed onits rod 73, may be brought into position at the left side of the bracket85 as viewed in FIG. 13. At first, the slot 86 receives a stop bar inorder to get the actuator in a more longitudinally aligned positionfacilitating the entry of the rod 73 into the aperture of the bracket90. With the stem entered into this aperture, the actuator is forcedrearwardly until the bar 72 clears the right end of the slot 86. At thispoint the actuator may be swung to the left into its normal axialposition wherein the buffer plate 71 fully occupies the slot 86.Thereafter, the cleat 93 is Welded over the left end of the slot 86along the dotted line 94 to complete the bracket as shown.

FIGS. 1 to 3 show that the buffing block 81 and the actuator plate 71project forwardly of the closed doors 60 and 61 at uncoupled conditionof the connector 4. This arrangement assures that the actuator andbuffing block of one coupler will engage the bufling block and actuatorof an opposing coupler while the closed doors of both couplers are stillseveral inches apart. During subsequent approachment of the connectors,the actuator of each connector is forced rearwardly relative to itsparent connector to open the doors before the doors of one connectorhave any opportunity to interfere with the opening motion of the doorsof the other connector. It is not essential that the front surfaces ofthe abutment 80 and the actuator 70 be relatively disposed precisely asshown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Either surface may conceivably be frontward ofthe other but themean or average disposition of both surfaces must besubstantially frontward of the plane occupied by the door panels atclosed position to provide satisfactory opening of the doors.

In operation, rear movement of the actuator causes its arms 74 and 75 topush rearwardly on the pins 68.

projecting into the arm slots 74a and 75a. While moving rearwardly, thepins 78 and 79 fixed to the door arms 65 move longitudinally of theslots and thus cam or rotate the doors to an open position shown in FIG.8. If the opposed coupler is withdrawn, the actuator is shoved forwardlyby the spring 92. The actuator carries with it the doors 60 and 61 whichreturn to the position of FIGS. 1 to 3.

From the foregoing it is obvious that this invention provides a closuresystem that is useful for protection of articles in general which arecouplable in pairs by bringing the properly oriented articles togetheralong a predetermined path.

The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms ofdescription and not of limitation and there is no intention of excludingsuch equivalents of the invention described or of the portions thereofas fall within the purview of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination:

(a) a device having a body terminating in a forward face portionadapting the device to couple with a similar device along a verticalplane containing the longitudinal axis of both devices;

(b) a housing for receiving and supporting said device comprising a pairof lateral walls open between their front ends to receive at least arearward portion of said body, and wall means supporting said walls inspaced relationship;

said lateral walls having inwardly facing opposed.

said body having laterally protruding side wall of outwardly convexvertical cross-section complementary to said concave housing surfaces;

said body walls being spaced to effect seating of said convex surfacesthereof along a forward portion of said pocket; and

(c) resilient means reacting between said housing and the body urgingsaid device forwardly relative to the support.

2. In combination:

(a) a device having a body terminating in a forward face portionadapting the device to couple with a similar device along a verticalplane containing the longitudinal axis of bothdevices;

(b) a housing for receiving and supporting said device comprising a pairof lateral walls joined at their rear ends by a transverse'wall and openbetween their front ends to receive said body therebetween;

said lateral walls having inwardly-facing opposed ,surfaces which areconcave in vertical crosssection and converge in a forward direction toprovide a forwardly-tapering pocket between said lateral walls;

said rearward portion of said body having laterally-protruding sidewalls of outwardly convex vertical cross-section complementary to saidconcave surfaces;

said body walls being spaced to effect seating of said convex surfacesthereof along a forward portion of said pocket;

said transverse wall having a central aperture;

said body having stem means extending rearwardly therefrom centrallybetween the lateral walls through said aperture with freedom to anglewithin the aperture relative to said housing; and v (c) resilient meansstanding between said transverse wall and body urging said deviceforward relative to said transverse wall into seating relation with saidwalls.

3. The combination of claim 2 adapted for connecting electricalconductors wherein: said body and said stem means are hollow forextension therethrough of electrical conductors.

4. The combination of claim 2 wherein: each of said concave surfacescomprise upper and lower areas meeting in a dihedral angle having itsvertex in a generally horizontal plane, and each of said convex bodysurfaces com-.

prise areas meeting in horizontally aligned dihedral angles 7 8 notgreater than that of the adjacent concave wall sureach fiange arrangedwith respect to one of recesses on face. the same side of saidhorizontal plane at opposite 5. The combination of claim 4 wherein: saidhousing sides of said vertical plane to enable the mating of comprisestwo pieces which separate along a plane conrecesses and flanges of onedevice with flanges and taining the vertices of said dihedral angles,and means 5 recesses of another; for fastening the pieces together. saidflanges and recesses being tapered in respective di- 6. The combinationof claim 1 wherein: rections away from said face plane to providegathsaid face portion forms, in general arrangement, four ering actionas two of said devices enter into abutting quadrants and separated bysaid plane and a longirelationship. tudinal horizontal medial plane ofthe device; said face portion having a flange along its periphery in 10References Clted by the Exammer each of two alternative quadrants and arecess in UNITED STATES PATENTS each of other alternative quadrants; 2443 975 6/1948 Baker 339 94 said flanges and recesses protruding andreceding, re- 2 9 2 936 5 1951 pennock et 1 339 X spectively, relativeto a general face plane of said 15 face portion; JOSEPH D. SEERS,Primary Examiner.

1. IN COMBINATION: (A) A DEVICE HAVING A BODY TERMINATING IN A FORWARDFACE PORTION ADPATING THE DEVICE TO COUPLE WITH A SIMILAR DEVICE ALONG AVERTICAL PLANE CONTAINING THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF BOTH DEVICES; (B) AHOUSING FOR RECEIVING AND SUPPORTING SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A PAIR OFLATERAL WALLS OPEN BETWEEN THEIR FRONT ENDS TO RECEIVE AT LEAST AREARWARD PORTION OF SAID BODY, AND WALL MEANS SUPPORTING SAID WALLS INSPACED RELATIONSHIP; SAID LATERAL WALLS HAVING INWARDLY FACING OPPOSEDCONCAVE SURFACES WHICH ARE SEMI-CUPULATE AND CONVERGE IN A FORWARDDIRECTION TO PROVIDE A FORWARDLY TAPERING POCKET BETWEEN SAID LATERALWALLS; SAID BODY HAVING LATERALLY PROTRUDING SIDE WALLS OF OUTWARDLYCONVEX VERTICAL CROSS-SECTION COMPLEMENTARY TO SAID CONCAVE HOUSINGSURFACES; SAID BODY WALL BEING SPACED TO EFFECT SEATING OF SAID CONVEXSURFACES THEREOF ALONG A FORWARD PORTION OF SAID POCKET; AND (C)RESILIENT MEANS REACTING BETWEEN SAID HOUSING AND THE BODY URGING SAIDDEVICE FORWARDLY RELATIVE TO THE SUPPORT.